Something for the week-end, sir?
24th March 2011
(Above) The Post Face, Coire Ardair. The meltdown has taken its toll on Last Post and it is pretty much a non-starter now. There’s a waterfall down the side of it as well. Free water evident coming out of South Post making for a difficult first pitch – the ice is hanging in there higher up though. Centre Post is very narrow at the top of the steep ice pitch. More detail in a following photo. Both the gully routes need a good freeze to secure the ice.
(Above) Raeburn’s Gully – complete. Smith’s is gone but the gully itself will offer some sport in the lower grades….if we get a reasonble re-freeze before the week-end. Could be of interest to couloir skiers if the freeze holds off though!
(Above) Easy Gully. More detail. Zero foot-traffic in the gully so might be of interest to steep skiers. The whole spectrum of corn snow in it today depending on altitude (and you know what that means low down!)
(Above) The Pumpkin, Inner Corrie. Will it magically disappear before the week-end? On the narrow side at present.
(Above) The Wand & Diadem, Inner Corrie. Both just about complete and will offer reasonable sport if the promised refreeze happens.
(Above) Cornice over Cinderella, Inner Corrie. Quite a number of cornices have collapsed but a fair few remain, some on the large size and are best treated with caution for the time being.
(Above) Coire Chrochairein. Good steep skiing potential here as well but not if it gets really cold. Outflanking the cornices would not be a problem.
(Above) The Carn Liath plateau – with the summit of Carn Liath on right. For a change the snow cover on this plateau is better than normal as we had wind from the ‘wrong’ direction last time we had a dump of snow. Just possible to link patches on skis but only after carrying them some distance and altitude. Sron a Ghoire plateau also patchy now and you’d be hopping from patch to patch. Creag Meagaidh plateau cover much better. Only the very determined likely to embark on a ski tour of the ’round’.
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